Education Commons^™

A Phenomenology Of Calling Among Undergraduates At A Public University: Reliance On Faith During An Intentional Career Decision-Making Process, Justin Arnold

Dissertations

Recent studies in vocational psychology and student development have discussed the fact that many college students value spirituality, and that a spiritual calling is positively associated with desirable work traits (Astin, Astin, & Lindholm, 2011; Chickering, 2006; Dik & Duffy, 2012; Duffy & Dik, 2013; Hunter, Dik, & Banning, 2010). What has yet to be deeply explored is how undergraduates at a public university who believe they are called explore careers and make vocational decisions.

The purpose of this phenomenology was to describe and interpret the lived experiences of emerging adults at a public university who believe they are called …

The Relationships Between Clergy Attachment Style, Leadership Style, And Clergy Professional Longevity, Marc Nelesen

Dissertations

This study investigates a relatively new area of research, namely, the relationship between attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969, 1973, 1980, 1988) and leadership theory. Attachment theory posits that human beings unconsciously established mental models of how relationships work. Depending on the kind and quality of early relational experiences, humans can associate feelings of security, anxiety, or avoidance with relationships. According to attachment theory, these associations are transferable and inform future relationships. Much of leadership theory suggests that relationships are a key component of effective leadership and may very well be the most important factor (Gardner et al., 2005). Recent quantitative studies …

The Impact Of Institutional Culture On Student Activism: A Multi-Case Study In Christian Higher Education, Brian E. Cole

Dissertations

This study contributes to the description and meaning of student activism within the context of Christian college environments and cultures, and is interpreted through the sociological concept of symbolic interactionism. The purpose of this study is to help fill the void in the literature on student activism at Christian colleges and universities, positioning it within literature of broader Christian culture and activism, Christian higher education, generational history of college student activism, and student development theories and leadership models. The goal of the study is to help create an understanding of how students at Christian institutions understand and engage in activism …

Committed Seventh-Day Adventist Students At Secular Institutions Of Higher Education, Lashonda R. Anthony

Dissertations

The experiences of Seventh-day Adventist students at secular universities was examined. Seven women and two men attending universities in Michigan and New York were interviewed. The researcher employed a heuristically guided phenomenological method to get rich descriptions of the participants’ experiences in the secular university setting. Open-ended interviews were used to gather data regarding the student experience.

From an analysis of the data six themes arose detailing the experiences of Seventh-day Adventist students in secular environments. The themes were (a) challenges encountered in the secular environment led to a need for self-advocacy in the academic and work environment regarding maintaining …

A Study Of Emergent Leadership Factors In A Total Ministry Model, David C. Meyers

Dissertations

This study generalized emergent leadership research to the unstudied population of Total Ministry parishes in the Episcopal Church. The research population was 75 small congregations who chose parish members as their liturgical and pastoral leaders. A survey was designed to distinguish more satisfied from less satisfied parishes in areas of worship, climate, and pastoral care. Each group was given a questionnaire with 29 emergent leadership factors. It was hypothesized that more satisfied parishes would match the constructs of emergent leadership to a higher degree. A T-test was used to compare scores. Results were very strong in pastoral care and climate, …

Spiritual Care Given By Nurses And Spiritual Well-Being Of Terminally Ill Cancer Patients, Patricia Sanders Broten

Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to explore: (1) cancer patients' perceptions of spiritual care given by nurses, (2) the documentation on records of the provision of care, and (3) the relationship of spiritual care provided to the spiritual well-being of patients.

Forty terminally ill cancer patients hospitalized on oncology units at three medical centers were surveyed about the nature and scope of spiritual care provided by nurses and others, and their perceptions of their spiritual well-being. Data were collected by trained registered nurses who administered two questionnaires to which patients responded orally.

The following is the list of spiritual …

A Study Of Stress Factors Related To The Attrition Of Christian Reformed Church Missionary Personnel In A West African Work Environment, Dirk W. Vander Steen

Dissertations

Missionary attrition is a costly experience for North American mission boards. Debilitating stress, related to resignations and early withdrawal of missionaries has led to human suffering on the part of missionaries and financial losses for those who sponsor the mission overseas.

This study investigated the factors that were stressful for missionaries of the Christian Reformed Church that worked in West Africa and attempted to identify those stress factors that are primarily responsible for missionary attrition. Previous research, with other missions on other continents provided the basis for identifying factors related to missionary stress. A Likert-like scale was used to measure …

The Relationship Between The Leader Behaviors Of Pastors And Church Growth In The Lake Union Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Clinton Anthony Valley

Dissertations

The objective of the study was to determine whether pastors of high growth churches in the Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists were more effective leaders than those pastors who served in low growth churches. The answer to this query was recognized as having implications for the pre-service and in-service training of pastors and in the periodic evaluation of their performance. The Lake Union Conference is an administrative body that oversees the work of the Church in five local conference units, namely, Illinois, Indiana, Lake Region, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

In the literature on effective leadership, there is consistent support for …

Cognitive Levels Of Thinking For Religious Training Materials And Infusion Across The Curriculum, Patrick Low

Masters Theses

The major accomplishment of this project was the creation of cognitive levels of questions spanning Bloom's (1964) taxonomy of learning, fostering religious training in nontraditional class settings at Kalamazoo Christian High School, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Classes involved were business mathematics, health, and physical education.

Descriptors, i.e., key terms, were developed from teachers' goals and objectives. Descriptors were then checked in a concordance to help develop Scripture reference for question development. Weekly or biweekly, participating teachers and the curriculum committee were supplied draft sections of the project; they gave feedback relative to usefulness and acceptability.

The results have been termed "very useful" …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Church Sponsored K-12 Education And Church Membership In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Warren Earl Minder

Dissertations

Church growth continues to be a concern for religious sects. Writers on church growth hold that all the various ministries of the church must assist the church in accomplishing church growth.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not persons who had been students in the Adventist school system had greater probability of joining the church and staying in the church than those who did not attend an Adventist school but were from homes where at least one parent was a Seventh-day Adventist.

There were two dependent variables in the study: initial baptism to join the church …

A Study Of Parent, Student, And Teacher Value Systems In A Mid-West Christian School System, Carl T. Mulder

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Descriptive Analysis Of The Kalamazoo Consultation Center For Clergy, Arthur Eckert Bilyeu

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.